The Malaysian Insight

PUTRAJAYA must immediately table the anti-party hopping bill in Parliament or opposition MPs will hold a street protest, Mohamad Sabu (Kota Raja-PH) said in Parliament today.

The Amanah president said the government did not seem to care or listen to the people’s wishes unless street protests were held.

“If the bill is not tabled and passed during this sitting, my friends from the opposition and I will rally in the streets, considering we are always ignored when we speak in Parliament,” he said during debate on the Supplementary Supply Bill (2021). 

“How can we practise democracy in the House if the bill is not expedited?” he said. 

The delay in tabling the bill was announced by de facto law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department did not give any reasons for the delay but said further consultation with Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) was needed.

The Malaysian Insight learnt from BN sources that one concern about the bill was that it did not address a hung Parliament or legislative assembly situation.

Today in the Dewan Rakyat, Umno lawmaker Nazri Aziz (Padang Renggas-BN) agreed with Mohamad, saying that it was embarrassing that Malaysia had politicians who hopped parties so frequently.

“I agree with what Kota Raja said, although only just 80% of it,” Nazri said.

Like Mohamad, Nazri also agreed that the government should table the anti-party hopping bill first and deal with any revisions later. – March 22, 2022.